Happy New Year 2023 from Colorado Springs Over 50!


We are looking forward to a happy, healthy, and successful 2023 and wish the same for you and yours.

Here is a list of Quotes for the New Year by renowned people that will guide you as you traverse through the 365 days of 2023 – Enjoy!

1) “Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress.”  Charles Kettering

2) “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

3) “Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you have always wanted to do but could not find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you do not think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You will look 10 years younger. Do not be afraid to say, I love you. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.”  Ann Landers

4) “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  Mark Twain

5) “Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto man His Son hath given; While angels sing with tender mirth, A glad new year to all the earth.”  Martin Luther

6) “All of us every single year, we are a different person. I do not think we are the same person all our lives.”  Steven Speilberg

7) “Be always at War with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you, a better person.”  Benjamin Franklin
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                                        Happy New Year 2023 – Make It A Great Year!
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This season, day-to-day life is still upended by the pandemic, and so many of us are struggling with loss. You can't outwit sadness with holiday cheer, but meeting grief head-on and embracing it can help.


 

Why grief feels so hard to handle this holiday season

While coping with grief is always a day-to-day challenge, it can pose a bigger challenge when the holidays arrive. That's especially true this holiday season, when many of us are still reeling from loss we experienced due to the pandemic.

"If you've lost a loved one to COVID-19, you're adjusting to a new way of life without that person—and the holiday season, which tends to be centered around our loved ones, will likely remind you of that loss," Cassandra Godzik, associate dean and professor at the School of Nursing at Regis College, tells Health. Godzik is a practicing psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner whose work involves patients who are experiencing loss, grief, and bereavement.

"Even if you haven't lost someone to COVID-19, all of our lives have been impacted in some way by the pandemic—whether you lost a job, took a pay cut, or you've had to compromise on your previous way of life in some way," Godzik explains. "It's all loss, which can feel especially difficult right now."

That's because in western culture, there's a strong imprint about what the holidays should and should not look like, Merryl Rothaus, LPC, a licensed professional counselor and board-certified art therapist in Boulder, Colorado, who specializes in grief, loss, and trauma, tells Health. "We're conditioned to believe this season should be happy, cozy, and joyful. So if we're not feeling these things, we tend to think, There must be something wrong with me. And that tends to make grief feel even stronger." This type of thinking can also result in a cascade of shame and lead to isolation, adds Rothaus, as well as other mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.

Then there's the nature of grief itself, which doesn't follow a tidy schedule and can't be outwitted with holiday cheer. Miami-based Amy Stone, 47, discovered this the hard way the Christmas after her dad died of a sudden heart attack. As a mom of two, she ignored her own sadness in an effort to make the holiday extra meaningful for her family. But when Christmas rolled around, she was too cranky to celebrate. "I realized that by throwing myself into planning the holiday and going above and beyond to make it special, I was really just trying to outrun my grief," Stone tells Health. "And as I found out, that's an impossible feat."

Grief's "spotlight effect"

Luckily, time tends to act as a salve, softening the sharp edges of grief. But that's not to say it won't surface in ways that cut deep. It's been a decade since Stone's dad died, and she says her sadness still feels amplified around the holidays. "Every year is a reminder that he isn't with us to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and to see my kids get older," she says. "We've made new traditions, which are wonderful. But it doesn't make the sadness of my dad's absence go away." 

Gina Moffa, LCSW, a New York City-based licensed clinical social worker who specializes in grief therapy, calls this the spotlight effect.

"The holidays tend to shine a spotlight onto everything you don't have," Moffa tells Health. "Not everyone is on good terms with their family or there will be someone missing this year. COVID-19 came without warning and changed everything at once, and we're still dealing with the trauma of that. Add to all of this the societal pressure that the holidays be 'perfect,' and it's a recipe for misery."
This focus on "perfection" tends to make us long for things we don't actually want, adds Moffa. "Every year around the holidays, I see those car commercials—you know, the one where the husband buys the wife a fancy SUV and it's waiting for her in the driveway, presumably on Christmas morning, with a big bow on the hood and a light snow falling gently. And I find myself feeling jealous, even though I would never want that life," she says. "When you think about it, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves for three days out of the year. And that pressure amplifies our dark, sad moments and losses even more."

Getting through the season when you're grappling with loss

So, what's the answer? A staggering 36% of Americans report that they don't feel like celebrating the holidays this year (2021), according to a survey conducted by Harris Poll and Experience Camps, a nonprofit focused on coping resources for grieving children. If you fall into that category, how do you go about facing the season?

The truth is, there's no one way to navigate your grief. But the more options you have for what this season might look like, the more able you'll be to make space for your grief during a time when the expectation is to be cheerful—something experts agree is key. "Meeting your pain rather than trying to extinguish it isn't easy, but it is the way through it," says Rothaus. Here's a start.

Think of grief as another form of love

One of the reasons grieving during the holidays can be so tricky is because we interrupt our grieving process with some version of "I shouldn't be crying or feel sad right now," says Dawson. Yet if there's a silver lining to grief, it's that it reminds us of how much love we had for the person we lost, she says.

"The reality is, we don't grieve things that don't matter," she says. "When we're grieving, it means we loved someone, that they mattered in our lives, and that we deeply miss them." When you remind yourself of this, it's easier to reframe feeling sad as a healthy, accurate sign that you loved someone so much, your heart is breaking because they're no longer here.

Source...Health.com

Most people enjoy the holidays, because it’s generally a festive and fun time of the year! It’s also one of the busiest! There are lots of parties to attend, social events to plan, family get-togethers, shopping to be done, and cookies to be baked. Add seasonal weather to the mix, finances, cold and flu season and a super long “to-do” list and this time of year can also take a big toll on our health. With all the fun and celebrating it’s easy to forget ourselves sometimes, but it’s so important to remember to take good care of yourself and remain heart healthy during these stressful and busy weeks!

Here are easy tips to lessen the stress, strengthen your heart and be heart healthy this holiday season.

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff (or the big stuff)

No doubt, all of us have long to-do lists this time of year. Sometimes you can plan way ahead and still not have things work out like you planned. It’s ok! Learn to be gentle on yourself, and when things get overwhelming, force yourself to simplify. Scale back your to-do list. Delegate some errands to your partner, children or friends. Space out your shopping and baking, and don’t overbook your schedule with events and social gatherings. Take deliberate time out of your day to relax and regroup. Force yourself to take a nap! What’s important is that you aren’t stressing yourself out needlessly. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that less is more!

2. Sneak in some exercise

Just because you’re “busy” doesn’t mean you’re staying active. Sometimes the cold weather keeps us from our regular exercise routines, and the stress of the holidays can also cause us to overeat and hibernate on the couch a little too long! Park a little farther when you’re out shopping to add some steps to your day. Walk around the mall a little longer than you have to. Dance in the kitchen to Christmas songs on the radio while doing the dishes. Stressful day? Pull out the yoga mat and do some deep breathing and stretching in the evening. Just be sure that you are mindful about moving your body through the Winter months. Your heart will thank you!

3. Be wise about portion control

We are literally surrounded this time of year by rich food and alcohol. Sometimes it’s easy to justify a little gluttony when you’re “celebrating”, but when you’ve been celebrating for 2 months, you can come out the other side 15 pounds heavier and with a higher cholesterol count if you’re not careful! Treating yourself is ok, but always make sure the bulk of your calories are coming from real, unprocessed foods. Fill up on the healthy stuff first, and you’ll feel less inclined to eat a sample of every dessert.

4. Make sure you’re getting enough rest

Insomnia and sleepless nights can take their toll on our bodies when we constantly have lists of things we need to do going through our brains. Sometimes it feels impossible to shut it off. One good tip is writing down everything you need to do the next day. If you have it on paper, sometimes it’s easier for the brain to let it go. Take time to relax each evening with a good book, a warm bath or a warm drink. Try to stay away from electronics in the late evening, and make sure you’re room isn’t too warm. These are helpful for a good night’s sleep. No matter how busy you are, always aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. A well rested body is a healthy body and helps keep the heart healthy!

In 2022, the American Heart Association added sleep duration to its cardiovascular health checklist, now called “Life’s Essential 8.” These science-based guidelines were created to help all Americans improve their heart health.

5. A joyful heart is a happy heart

There’s a lot to be said about having a positive outlook and being of good cheer. Not only can a good attitude benefit those around us, but it can keep our blood pressure from rising and keep stress away too! There’s a direct correlation between mental and physical health, so keep your mind positive. Look for ways to serve others, and look for the good in every situation and your whole body will thank you!
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